Rosatis Overtime Goal Lifts Bulldogs Past Penn 3-2

Mia Rosati. (photo by Sam Rubin '95, Yale Sports Publicity)

Oct 25, 2009

McCauley Moves within Three Points of School Career
Points Record

PHILADELPHIA - In winning eight of 11 games
heading into Sunday's contest at Penn, the Yale field hockey team
had only fallen behind by more than one goal twice in that span.
But that was the hole the Bulldogs found themselves in less than 13
minutes into the game Sunday, as a pair of goals by midfielder
Kelsey Tahan put the Quakers in control early. The Bulldogs chipped
away at the lead with one goal late in the first half and one early
in the second half, while four saves from senior goalkeeper
Charlotte Goins kept Penn off the scoreboard. Yale finally won it
in dramatic fashion, 3-2, on sophomore forward Mia Rosati's goal
3:26 into overtime.

Tahan scored her first goal just 59 seconds into the game, as
her long shot deflected off a Yale stick high into the left corner.
She then extended Penn's lead off a penalty corner at 12:42, as
Yale junior goalie Katie Bolling was screened on the play.

Penn (4-10, 1-3 Ivy League) had a 4-2 advantage in penalty
corners in the first half but could not extend its lead any
further. The Bulldogs, playing on the grassy Sprinturf-brand
artificial turf that Franklin Field has for the one and only time
this season, eventually adjusted the speed of the game to their
advantage.

"In the first half, it took some time to get used to the turf
even though we had practiced on it," said Yale head coach Pam
Stuper. "Some of the things we had talked about doing in practice
we weren't doing. We went out in the second half and controlled the
tempo, put the ball in space and allowed the forwards to run to the
ball."

Rosati knotted things up at 44:08 when she dove to deflect in a
pass from McCauley. Goins made all four of her saves in the second
half, when she came on in relief Bolling.

"Char stepped in and help organize the defense," Stuper said.
"We had to shut them out from that point on. We know both goalies
can step in and help us be successful."

A great save by Sweeney denied the game-winner in regulation,
but the Bulldogs converted their first penalty corner of overtime
into Rosati's game-winner. With the teams playing seven-on-seven,
McCauley took the role of inserter normally handled by sophomore
back Marissa Waldemore. She sent it to Rosati for a self-stop, and
Rosati's shot from just inside the circle deflected off a Penn
stick and in to the opposite corner for the win.

Rosati has come alive of late, with four goals in the last five
games after scoring one in the first 10.

"Mia has been battling injury all year long," Stuper said. "It's
difficult when you can't play the minutes you know you're capable
of. The past few weeks she's been feeling better and has found a
way to use her opportunities."

McCauley's four-point day leaves her with 95 points for her
career. That is three points shy of the school record set by Emily
Montgomery '78.

"Ashley and Mia, when it came down to it, just made sure we
would win this game," Stuper said. "They did a tremendous job on
the front line, generating speed and combining with each other and
the other forwards."

Yale remains one game behind Princeton in the Ivy League
standings with two games remaining. Two more wins would give Yale
its fifth season of 12 or more wins in school history.